Hourly Rounding & Fall Precaution Essay

Falls are a common occurrence among medical, surgical and elderly patients in hospitals. One of the largest categories of reported adverse events in hospitals are patient falls, which are estimated to cost more than $20 billion a year. (2010 Lippincott Williams &Wilkins, Inc.) Prevention is the best method to decrease the number of falls and reduce hospital cost and increase patient satisfaction. One of the best ways to prevent falls is patient hourly rounding. Hourly rounding means intentionally checking on patients at regular intervals continuously to ensure patients’ needs has been met. Attending to patients’ comfort, safety, and environmental needs may prevent adverse events like falls and contribute to patients’ satisfaction. There is study which evaluates the effectiveness of hourly rounding to reduce the rate of falls. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of hourly rounding on fall rates and patient satisfaction in patients. Metho ds: MEDLINE and CINAHL were the search engines. Key search words were hourly/patient rounding, falls, call lights, and patient satisfaction ( Margo A 2009). Evaluations were conducted in all hospital units, telemetry, medical/surgical and orthopedic. Reports were retrieved .In 5 of 6 studies (83%) that examined use of call lights, the use was reduced. (Meade C 2006) reported that nurses were summoned 12 to 15 times daily to respond to non-urgent needs such as toileting, positioning, or pain relief. By nurses’ anticipating these needs through making rounds, patient care may be interrupted less with non-urgent calls. Fall rates were reduced in 7 of 9 studies (77%) in which falls were evaluated. In one study, (Kalman M 2008) making rounds did not affect the rate of falls, and in another study ((Bourgault A 2008) the rate of falls increased. Other studies uncovered less use of restraints (Assi M 2008) and attendants when making rounds was instituted. In 8 of 9 studies (88%), researche rs discovered improvements in overall patient satisfaction (Medsurg Nurse. 2008) .They were more satisfied with anticipation and attention to personal needs, timeliness of nurses’ response, and management of pain. Patients who had frequent admission to the hospital noted the difference after implementation of hourly rounding. They perceived the nursing staff to be more attentive. Available evidence  represent that making rounds is appropriate, safe, and useful for practice and has positive impact to decrease rate of falls and increase patient satisfaction. Conclusion: Decreasing patients fall and increasing patient satisfaction are important goal in any organizations .In this study hourly rounding has improved patient satisfaction and decreased rate of falls in patients significantly, however higher quality study designs are needed to assess the effect of hourly rounds in a variety of settings, including units with a history of good outcomes, to determine what promise making rounds holds for further improvements (Meade C 2006). The study of hourly rounding is very significant to the nursing. Many studies reviled the importance of hourly rounding and it is an interdisciplinary practice in most of the institutes. Making hourly rounds can be viewed as a bundle of interventions that promote not only comfort but safety of both patients and nurses (Mosby,2008).Hourly rounding helps nurses to anticipate and evaluate the needs of patients ,addresses the 4ps (pain , position , potty , possessions) and additional comfort needs . Research about hourly roundi ng shows it is effective in increasing patient satisfaction, increasing nursing satisfaction and increasing quality by reducing fall rates. Hourly Rounding & Fall Precaution Falls are a common occurrence among medical, surgical and elderly patients in hospitals. One of the largest categories of reported adverse events in hospitals are patient falls, which are estimated to cost more than $20 billion a year. (2010 Lippincott Williams &Wilkins, Inc.) Prevention is the best method to decrease the number of falls and reduce hospital cost and increase patient satisfaction. One of the best ways to prevent falls is patient hourly rounding. Hourly rounding means intentionally checking on patients at regular intervals continuously to ensure patients’ needs has been met. Attending to patients’ comfort, safety, and environmental needs may prevent adverse events like falls and contribute to patients’ satisfaction. There is study which evaluates the effectiveness of hourly rounding to reduce the rate of falls. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of hourly rounding on fall rates and patient satisfaction in patients. Methods: MEDLINE and CINAHL were the search engines. Key search words were hourly/patient rounding, falls, call lights, and patient satisfaction ( Margo A 2009). Evaluations were conducted in all hospital units, telemetry, medical/surgical and orthopedic. Reports were retrieved .In 5 of 6 studies (83%) that examined use of call lights, the use was reduced. (Meade C 2006) reported that nurses were summoned 12 to 15 times daily to respond to non-urgent needs such as toileting, positioning, or pain relief. By nurses’ anticipating these needs through making rounds, patient care may be interrupted less with non-urgent calls. Fall rates were reduced in 7 of 9 studies (77%) in which falls were evaluated. In one study, (Kalman M 2008) making rounds did not affect the rate of falls, and in another study ((Bourgault A 2008) the rate of falls increased . Other studies uncovered less use of restraints (Assi M 2008) and attendants when making rounds was instituted. In 8 of 9 studies (88%), research ers discovered improvements in overall patient satisfaction (Medsurg Nurse. 2008) .They were more satisfied with anticipation and attention to personal needs, timeliness of nurses’ response, and management of pain. Patients who had frequent admission to the hospital noted the difference after implementation of hourly rounding .They perceived the nursing staff to be more attentive. Available evidence represent that making rounds is appropriate, safe, and useful for practice and has positive impact to decrease rate of falls and increase patient satisfaction. Conclusion: Decreasing patients fall and increasing patient satisfaction are important goal in any organizations .In this study hourly rounding has improved patient satisfaction and decreased rate of falls in patients significantly, however higher quality study designs are needed to assess the effect of hourly rounds in a variety of settings, including units with a history of good outcomes, to determine what promise making rounds holds for further improvements (Meade C 2006). The study of hourly rounding is very significant to the nursing. Many studies reviled the importance of hourly rounding and it is an interdisciplinary practice in most of the institutes. Making hourly rounds can be viewed as a bundle of interventions  that promote not only comfort but safety of both patients and nurses (Mosby,2008).Hourly rounding helps nurses to anticipate and evaluate the needs of patients ,addresses the 4ps (pain , position , potty , possessions) and additional comfort needs . Research about hourly rou nding shows it is effective in increasing patient satisfaction, increasing nursing satisfaction and increasing quality by reducing fall rates.

Over the Hedge Essay

Over the Hedge is an animated film about the difficulties little harmless animals experience when man encroaches on their habitat (Fry, 2006). The film starts with the end of winter and the animals in the forest are coming out of hibernation. A hyperactive and mischievous raccoon named RJ forages on the junk food of the bear; he escapes alive with the promise of returning all of the bear’s food within a week. On the other side, a family of cute little animals awakens with a green wall in the middle of their forest and suddenly fears what lies beyond the hedge. Verve the turtle ventures over the hedge to find out what was on the other side; however he was subjected to the ferocious human machines like the lawn mower, grass sprinkler, bikes and etc. He returns to the forest and warns that no one should ever venture over the hedge as it is dangerous. The group of animals however had another problem, they had no food. Then here comes, the rascal raccoon RJ and convinces the group that humans throw out their food every time and all they needed to do was go out there and gather it. Verve disagreed and warned them against the idea, but as food became scarce Verve finally agreed with RJ. RJ on the other hand was really thinking of how the group could help him gather the food he owed the bear and here the conflict started. The rest of the film tells about friendship, trust, honesty and love of family. The film does this effectively within the context of man’s environmental responsibility to be stewards of Mother Nature. The plot of the story was actually very simple however, since the characters were cute, furry, funny and adorable animals, the film held much interest. The visuals were very good; it was clear, crisp and very alive. Although one would notice that it was not created in the traditional way, in fact the movie’s animation were all computer generated, from the drawing to the filming. The sound was in the standard Dolby format, and it was clear and loud, however some of the characters dialogues were tweaked to resemble that of the animal, sometimes the dialogue got lost in the way it was pronounced but one could still understand the gist of the sentence. I especially liked the three baby possums because they were really cute, and they were very funny. They had this way of saying things in chorus and then either refuting or supporting each other and their thoughts resembled the candidness of children. The vividness of the colors and images really fed my interest in the film, however I was lost in the burping of the squirrel and the farting of the skunk, maybe the director thought it would add to the comedic element of the film, but it did not feel that way to me. The film talks about the importance of living well with our animal friends, and it shows a very real example of how man react to animals when they start invading our homes and community. The film however had the ability to make us realize that man had been the first to invade the animals’ home and since they get their food from their ecosystem, man’s invasion of their habitat also affects their existence (Peabody, 2006). The film is far from serious and boring, it is funny, entertaining and honest, and brutally honest I must say. The film actually appealed to my sense of justice and equality knowing that man and beast should live together in the best possible way. Although, the film was targeted for children of all ages, some of the dialogues were brazen and crude, thus the film landed in the PG rating, but all the same it contains the essential elements of a good story, interesting characters, excellent animation and great actors and this held my interest in the film until its end.

Written Training Module Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Written Training Module - Assignment Example After that it aims to provide them a small lecture through powerpoint on the importance of time and methods of time management. The students will then apply these concepts in their group activities, and will then be evaluated by the rest of the participants, thereby learning best time utilization practices. Students often complain of too many things demanding attention for their time, with very less time left to relax or rest. This translates into stress and reduced work performance in all areas of life, leading to an overall decrease in the quality of life. This then leads to students feeling bad about themselves, or inadequate to manage things in the appropriate manner. Time management and learning the importance of time are the key elements that distinguish the successful students from the less successful ones. The training aims to highlight some of the key areas in successful time management. Organizing things in life is not only a way to keep one’s room clean but also a need to keep the mind at rest. An organized system around a person allows for clarity of thought and action. It helps the person focus on one thing at a time, and in this way ensure that that particular area of life receives full focus. The topic was decided primarily due to a large proportion of students stating that they do not know how to balance the different elements of their life in an appropriate manner. For this reason, it was thought that a good way to teach time management skills would be to educate them in a non-traditional classroom format. For this reason, the use of powerpoint which would the primary source of instruction was complemented by other aids. The initial test would be a good starting point to gain student attention, and the initial and after the training evaluation of the test by the student himself would allow him to see how and

Worship in church Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Worship in church - Essay Example After five days of creation work, God created man. Later God allowed man to dominate over the rest of His creations. This meant that, man could use the rest of the creation in the satisfaction of his needs. Consequently, man had to show gratitude for such a provision. The discovery of a superior being, regarded as the originator of all the creation, resulted to its worship (Schultze 74). The book of exodus in the Old Testament reveals God’s love to his people. God rescued the Israelites from the oppression they were undergoing in Egypt. He further offered protection to them throughout their journey to Canaan. They therefore, conducted worship as a means of appreciation. The above incidents reveal his caring nature. This history creates the foundation of the today’s church worship. Christians, therefore, understand God’s nature in a more appropriate manner than pagans do. Webber says that, worship enables people to understand God’s salvation (Webber 103). He argues that, during worship, believers perform functions in the declaration of their acknowledgment for God’s salvation. Additionally, worship facilitates the recognition of the position of the church, its collective appreciation, as well as its significance. He also argues that, worship lets believers to meet their God (Webber 102). He says that, when people recite the Holy Scriptures and preach about them, they receive the God’s power. Webber argues that, worship motivates people to achieve a certain goal. He articulates that it gives hope for a good future to believers despite the life challenges (Webber 102). He utilizes the example of the exodus story in the Old Testament alongside the passion and the resurrection, along with the return of Jesus Christ. Webber further articulates that Eucharist celebrations stand a vital position in church worship (Webber 110). He argues that, it renews the affiliation between man and God and it brings about transformation. Camp

Book of Hosea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Book of Hosea - Essay Example God's love is so great that it surpasses the transgressions of the Israelites. With this experience, Hosea has become an authentic and effective prophet of God. The following ideas and interpretation of the Book of Hosea are taken from various sources. The Book of Hosea is divided into two parts. The first part is about the Prophet's Marriage and Its Lesson (Hosea 1:1-3:5). The second part is Israel's Guilt and Punishment (Hosea 4:1-14:9 (New American Bible)). According to John Shelby Spong (2005), Hosea lived at the Northern Kingdom and started being a prophet in the last years of Jeroboam II (786-746 B.C.). There are several speculations about this person. Some say he is a priest while others call him a cult prophet. Spong says Hosea is "very sensitive, emotional man who could pass quickly from violent anger to the deepest tenderness." He is married to Gomer, who caused him so much trouble and pain. She is described as very beautiful and the favourite sex partner of the upper class men. When she became older, she is reduced to a slave. Spong describes it dramatically in the following passage: And one day he went to a slave market sale, and this haggard old woman with matted hair and bloodshot eyes was brought out on the slave auction block, and the crowd around there began to laugh. Who in the world would pay anything for that hag But Hosea recognized that as his wife. And in a strange and bold act he stood up when the bidding was open and he offered the highest price that anyone would pay for the strongest young male servant That's the only way Hosea knew how to begin to restore Gomer's dignity and he brought her to his home, and he installed her as his wife, the head of his household. Such sacrifice could surely not be done by an ordinary sinful and selfish person. This is indeed an impressive way of showing the credibility and sincerity of the message of Hosea to the adulterous Israelites. Got Questions Ministries gives a detailed outline of the Book of Hosea. The main points and subdivisions of the Book are outlined as follows: 1. Author: Hosea "is the only prophet of Israel who left any written prophecies which were recorded during the later years of his life." 2. Date of Writing: "Hosea, the son of Beeri, prophesied for quite some time, from 785 to 725 B.C. The Book of Hosea was likely written between 755 and 725 B.C." 3. Purpose of Writing: The Book is written to show "a loving God whose loyalty to His covenant people is unwavering." Moreover, Richard D. Patterson, in his "Introduction to Hosea: Historical Context," details the milieu when the Book of Hosea and the events therein. The setting is said to be during the eighth century B.C. at the Northern Kingdom. Also mentioned in the Book, four eighth century kings of Judah, thus making the setting to be in Judah. The kings mentioned are: Uzziah (c. 792-740 B.C.), Jeroboam II (c. 792-752 B.C.), Jotham (732 B.C.) and Hezekiah in Judah in (729 B.C.). This shows that Hosea lived a long life and cautioned and encouraged the people of Israel. This also implies that the Israelites are a difficult people to lead and it is only God's great unconditional love that makes them survive the tests of time and pressures from the neighbouring tribes. The era is described as "a period marked by great economic and political success but growing spiritual apostasy." Patterson continues

Scripture Inerrancy Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scripture Inerrancy - Thesis Proposal Example (The CRI Voice, 2006) From the era that such reservations were raised, Christian scholars and even ordinary historians have come clear with findings, facts and proof that try to confirm the perfection of the bible. Scripture inerrancy therefore has to do with the belief that the bible is free from any errors. The justifications given as far as accuracy of the scriptures is concerned are varied. For example Rhodes (2004) uses several instances of Jesus’ view of the bible to explain why the bible could be regarded as accurate. Some of his defense has to do with Divine Inspiration: Matthew 22:43; Indestructibility: Matthew 5:17-18; Infallibility: John 10:35; Final Authority: Matthew 4:4,7,10; Historicity: Matthew 12:40; 24:37; Scientific Accuracy: Matthew 19:2-5; Factual Inerrancy: John 17:17; Matthew 22:29; Christ-Centered Unity: Luke 24:27; John 5:39; Spiritual Clarity: Luke 24:25; Faith and Life Sufficiency: Luke 16:31. The research design to be employed for this study will be survey research. Research Connections (2011) explain that â€Å"Survey research is a commonly used method of collecting information about a population of interest.† In this study, the population of interest will be Christianity; whereby scripture inerrancy shall be bought under strict scrutiny. The sample population shall be a group of Christian scholars, historians and critics of scripture inerrancy. These three categories of participants will help in ensuring fairness and balance in data collection and presentation of facts in the study. This is to say that the inclusive of critics is necessary in bringing about fairness in the line of argument. There shall be two major data collection procedures, which will be primary data collection and secondary data collection. Secondary data collection will deal with the collection of data from existing literature on

The difference between Realism and Neorealism Essay

The difference between Realism and Neorealism - Essay Example The neorealism ideology is an advanced link to the classic realism and this has been duly highlighted within the length of this paper. This will give an idea on how realism and neorealism are understood within a global context and how their differences have facilitated the political settings in this day and age. It will tackle the debate regarding how realism has shaped up the neorealism nuances and how neorealism differs from classic realism from the outset of such analyses. Introduction Realists are frequently faced with the consequence of being intellectually smart with Thucydides’ classic saga of the Peloponnesian War which occurred in the fifth century BC. It would date back to about 2500 years when the study of world politics started to take place as an institutionalized field of academics as well as for the initial classical realists to come about within this newly inaugurated discipline. It is important to focus on the classical form of realism as compared to neorealis m which is a necessary element of the mainstream literature available today. Even though realism is different from neorealism, it would be significant to understand which of the two is an advanced form of the other one? (Waltz, 1979). Since realism is involved with the world as it essentially is as compared to how it should be, neorealism is more commonly associated with international politics as a whole. The two forms in effect suggest the distinction towards human nature (classic realism) and emphasis on international politics (neorealism). This paper highlights the two forms have their marked differences and weighs the pros and cons that come along with the same (Keohane, 1986). When this has been done, the study will find out which one is an advanced form of the other, and how the two can co-exist alongside one another to achieve a solid basis for the people who believe in such ideologies and have a comprehension regarding these from time to time. In the following paragraphs, bo th realism and neorealism will be explained in detail and then their differences will be highlighted upon (Wendt, 1999). Focus on Realism In order to understand what realism is, it is necessary to know what it stands for. Realism is related to some form of reality in every form of context that one studies it. When one sees realism from the domains of philosophy, it is a documentation of philosophical realism which suggests for the perspective of reality existing in freedom of some observers. Similarly, realism in arts and scientific realism is a couple of other distinctive realism’s basis which takes place in separate disciplines. It is indeed a philosophy of mind which is deeply rooted within the common sense philosophy related with perception and at times is remarked as naive realism (Mutch, 2009). This naive realism has been a manifestation of direct realism which when differentiated from representative realism gives out a perspective that human beings cannot perceive and analyze the external world in a direct fashion. Realism at times is pessimistic and concentrates upon the repeating patterns of politics backed up by power as demonstrated by recurring conflicts and rifts, the tussles and rivalries. Since this seems like a world full of negativity and immense gloom, realism is a concept that is linked in close resemblance with the balance of power as well as the security question which essentially gain essence as the chief analytical tools within the aegis of realism (Crawford, 2002). Realists give enough importance on the premise of the state within the discussions that emanate from the domains of international politics. Also they believe that the national interest gains more impressions. This is their regional ego

Inclusion of the Physically Disabled in Mainstream Schools Essay

Inclusion of the Physically Disabled in Mainstream Schools - Essay Example Significant attempts to transform mainstream/state schools and make them more inclusive to the physically disabled students have been made in UK. However, a lot requires to be done to make the mainstream schools completely accommodating to the disabled students. This paper focuses on the measures that mainstream schools in United Kingdom have taken to be more inclusive and meet the needs of the physically disabled. Additionally, the paper will focus on how successful or unsuccessful these measures have been in different institutions and whether the success depends on the resources that the schools have to their disposal. In the recent past, the UK government has dedicated itself to ensuring that all children get equal access to quality education irrespective of their diversity. However, the governments’ objective has not been fully successful. Physically disabled children are one of the groups of people that have been discriminated against in most societies. Investigations the UK education department show that most mainstream schools lacked devices to support disabled student particularly before introduction of the inclusion program. According to the medical model, most people view disability to be identical to disability or as a problem. However, other theories have been developed to counteract this notion. These theories include the post-social, affirmative, and the social models. These theories posit that impairment is not synonymous to disability. They argue that case of disability found amongst the physically challenged persons result since disabled are often not provided with the appropriate environment to reveal they potential. This can be demonstrated by simple aspects such as lack of elevators in most state school, which makes it almost impossible for children using wheelchairs to attend such schools. These contemporary models have greatly contributed to the changes in mainstream school in London to make them more accommodative for the disabled students. Accommodation of the disabled in mainstream schools is in line with the social model, which argues that segregating of the impaired people is irreverent and a sign of oppression. Most efforts made have been to improve the schools and accommodate individuals with impairments such as blindness, deafness, or other impairments that make it impossible for individuals to use the same facilities with normal individuals. Post-social modelists argue that segregation make the persons with impairments pity themselves. The social and post-social models are among the models that have greatly influence the development of inclusion programs in UK (Clough and Corbett 5-11). In ensuring that the physically disabled access quality education, the learning environment must be altered. This is more important in cases where the disability requires the students to make use of supportive devices such as wheelchairs (Department for Education and Skills Web; Norwich 16-28). Importance of the Inclus ion Program Ensuring that persons with disability are not excluded from mainstream education has been the most significant move in guaranteeing equal opportunities for all. There are a several reasons why inclusion of the physically disabled in the mainstream schools is important in UK. One of the reasons is because education is considered crucial in

Combating Money Laundering Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Combating Money Laundering - Research Paper Example Technological advances are some of the avenues that have made money laundering easier as criminals exploit these technologies to conceal the illegal sources of their valuables such as money and jewels. Fortunately, governments have recognized the menace, which is money laundering and have designed, implemented, and evaluated the effectiveness of these interventions in curbing financial crimes such as money laundering. The United States, for example mandates the Department of Treasury and agencies such as the FinCEN to implement anti-money laundering policies. However, more needs to be done for money laundering to e effectively detected, prevented, and stopped all together. Introduction Recent times have recorded an increase in the rate and scope of international crimes, more so with respect to the financial aspects of crimes. This scenario has been prompted by the globalization and the rapidly advancing technologies. Money related crimes have since become major multifaceted problems for law enforcement and the public. Besides being local and national crime problem, money laundering has become an international problem, prompting major financial and political superpowers such as the United States of America and other Western states to design and implement various strategies and policies to curb the issue (Harvey, 2008). Consequent to this increasing threat of money laundering and other financial crimes, many a state has since embarked on concerted efforts to combat this kind of crime. Included in these strategies is the designing and the enactment of counter-money laundering laws, shared by many agencies, institutions, and countries. Second, some countries such as the United States of America have established stringent bilateral and multilateral agreements to strengthen their monitory policies and practices and to further collaboration among states of similar interests. These collaborative efforts specifically target the creation of awareness of the serious threa t that is money laundering among states. In addition, efforts have not been spared in spreading the message on the importance of acknowledging that money laundering is in deed a problem that affects society directly (Levi & Gilmore, 2002). Furthermore, countries such as the United States of America prevent organizations considered criminals from accessing its financial systems. This paper explains what money laundering is, how it is used, and the steps the United States has taken to curb the crime. Money Laundering Illegal money is often the outcome of most criminal acts, which are mostly driven by greed for profit. Consequent to profits of criminal acts and omissions, illicit money often find their way into the legal financial systems of a country. Generally, money laundering entails concealing given financial assets so that their illegal activities are not detected. In fact, money laundering is one of the factors supporting organized crimes as criminals mix the monetary proceeds f rom their criminal acts with other seemingly legal sources (Kochan, 2005). There are several negative effects of money laundering. These include its effects on fueling terrorists, arms dealers, drug dealers, and other criminals, thus expanding their operations. Additionally, money laundering criminals have managed to manipulate financial systems in the United States and other countries, further

Why do most countries think United States of America is a powerful Essay

Why do most countries think United States of America is a powerful country - Essay Example United States of America is currently the most powerful country in the world with almost absolute superiority in almost every area of life. Its military strength, technological superiority and economic power are unmatched in the history of mankind. The superiority of United States of America effectively started after the end of the cold war when USSR was disintegrated and the concept of bipolar world failed as United States emerged as the sole super power of the world. However, the United States of America has a long history of its march towards achieving its status of the super power of the world. This essay will look into the historical account of the US’s journey towards the superiority besides discussing the factors behind the superiority of US. American – Spanish War The America-Spanish war is probably the moment which gave America an open ground to climb at the top of the world stage and the power it is enjoying now. This war gave America its first real exposure of being the future super power of the world. In the spring of 1898, the 10 week long war between America and Spain gave the America necessary victory it required to start its climb towards the super power game. The historical background of this war can be traced back to the Cuba’s civil war where Spanish excesses forced America to intervene in the War and establish its regional hegemony in the Caribbean. (Bethel, 1998). It was America’s first major war after the civil war and its first major foreign war in its brief history. With the death toll of 400 Americans, this war gave America an unqualified victory which opened the gates for this nation to the stage of being super power.

Alcoholic beverage Essay Example for Free

Alcoholic beverage Essay Is the End of the German Beer Industry Near? 1. Discuss how the changing technological environment present international threats and opportunities to the German beer industry. To discuss how changing technological environment presents international threats and opportunities for the German beer industry, the term of changing technological environment has to be explained. The literature distinguishes between a micro environment and a macro environment. Micro environment concludes factors, which are directly influenced by a company. These factors are organizational – Marketing-Mix, Structure, processes etc. Macro environment contains political decisions, cultural and social changes and technological changes (Lee and Carter, 2009). Technological changes can include three sections to improve business processes of companies. The First is through technological innovations in products and processes. For instance producing processes in different Industries are much easier and faster today than before 30 years. Product life cycles are less long today – modern technology allows permanent improvements and innovative new products detach older products. That is a Development of modern Industries, which can be observed (Dicken, 2011). The second one is through communication and information. Technology increases productivity by time saving devices and allowing companies to work in collaboration with team members within a Network, who are not present or the ability of fast access to data from anywhere of the world (Obele, 2004). Furthermore modern Technology allows companies to do consumer or market research in a very short time, especially through the internet which provides opportunities for companies to enter new markets across several countries and regions in a very fast and easy way now (Litan et al. , 2010). The third one is through mobility and innovation in transportation. Today manufacturers are able to transport products with the help of airplanes, trains and ships in a geographical freedom without losing quality of products (Dicken, 2011). By increasing productivity generally through time and space saving devices modern technology provided the German industry opportunities to increase general production output. Improved Information and communication technology (ICT) and innovative transport systems results a less complex of processes to enter new markets by aimed communication and fast distribution. But one of the most important international opportunities that changing technological environment presents to the German beer industry is the improvement in production processes. Process optimisation and increased efficiency are priorities of the most companies. For Instance high-gravity wort fermentation or efficiency of wort sugar uptake are process activities resulting in reduced capital expenditure and gains in economies of scale (Stewart, no date). Economics of scale eventuates when a decline in average cost can be achieved through an increase in output of one product (O’Sullivan A.and Seffrin S. , 2003). In addition many of the big global players are leveraging from innovated brewing and fast fermentation processes. There are heavy investments in brewing development to produce more efficient for instance to exploit ingredients or save water and gain economies of scale. In the USA breweries like Anheuser-Busch, Miller and Coors managed to dominate the mass-producing sector and gained in economies of scale (Tremblay et al. , 2005). World market leader AB InBev from Belgium owns more then 200 beer brands today, undaunted Becks, a German beer. Local breweries did not attempt to expand in the past and today they are suffering from acquisition of big global players. The device of big breweries is to produce efficient and cheap. But many German customers are struggling against this mass-production provided by modern technology. Most of them argue that the quality of the beer is suffering from mass-production and decide to buy local German beer brands, which are more expensive (Schimansky, 2012). In times of cheap mass-production there are still customers, who are ready to pay more for quality – according to the case study the same applies to emerging markets. So local German breweries could use their quality as a unique selling proposition and start to cooperate and get together by mergers for instance to share costs and risks of overseas operations. It is logical, that only a few German breweries will be able to invest in international operations, because of small financial resources. Therefore maybe only 100 of the 1300 German breweries will stay alive in future – but these breweries will be strong enough to create an availability of German beer internationally. One opportunity for German breweries is to expand to emerging markets like China then, where according to the study customers are ready to pay for quality, as we mentioned. Producing towards the Reinheitsgebot promises that required quality. Referring to the Paper that most of the small German breweries got small financial resources and no experiences in overseas markets, so cooperation with another famous German brewery, as we mentioned, or a joint venture in a foreign country like China to reduce certain risks, costs and gain specific market knowledge, could be profitable. The infrastructure, especially communication and information channels to gain knowledge about local preferences will enhance the way of doing business there. But new technologies and innovative processes provide rival producers new opportunities and form new threats for the German beer industry. By producing more efficient and creative with support of modern producing opportunities beer companies adapt their product following new trend of the new generations. Example is given in the study by offering alcopops or mixed beers etc. Eventually global players, who enter the German market by acquiring German breweries and are close to the market, will be in a position to adapt their own products in the future with support of modern technologies in research methods etc. to gain knowledge of local preferences by ongoing efficient industrialized mass producing processes. And if German breweries still stay small in distribution, big global players will be able to dominate more of the almost saturated market. This is especially because of modern efficient way of brewing and the declining costs involved through economies of scale for example. 2. Discuss the impact of the current economic global crisis upon the operations of the German Beer industry, given that it appears to be fractionalised and has smaller financial resources than its main competitors. According to a publication of the new economics foundation (nef, 2012), the world is in the second phase of an economic crisis, which has a global reach and affects nut just only the world’s major institutions, but also the established ways of thinking. The nef asserts that the contemporary global economic crisis is a continuation of the financial crisis of 2008. In 2008 the world’s third-largest investment bank at that time, Lehman brothers, bankrupted and led to eventual a collapse of the whole financial system. The nef explains that the crisis of 2008 was halted but not resolved. Now the results of the second phase of the global economic crisis are stagnation and austerity to cut public spendings, so the nef. Furthermore the nef argues that austerity is hindering economic growth, because firms sell fewer goods and services and therefore this creates job losses as we can see in Ireland, Greece and now in the United Kingdom. That global economic crisis impacts the beer industry in several countries proves a declining number in annual per capita consumption of beer in Greece, which has been hit hardest among the countries by the beer recession and by the crisis itself (Ewing, 2011). The main impact of the economic global crisis upon of German beer industry is, that more and more people loss their jobs worldwide within the crisis (BBC, 2009). Therefore they are not able to spend much. Because of that they fear about the uncertain future and want to save money. This fear impacts their customers buying behaviour. There is a strong resistance to buying and therefore prices have to be lowered (Herrmann, 2009). In addition more and more people are drinking at home rather then in bars or restaurants to save money. This in turn leads to that more people loss their jobs, especially in the hospitality industry, like Hotels, pubs or restaurants. Furthermore governments are hindering productivity by value-added taxes, which lower consumption and cots jobs (Ewing, 2011). That means that there is a declining buying power and changing careful buying behaviour, especially of price sensitive German customers, like it is told in the study. The paper shows already a declining number of beer consumption, because of some factors, like Trends, demographic changes and government decisions against alcoholic drinks etc. The fact that the people spent less money, as mentioned before, will accelerate this process. The general economic crisis in Europe, like in Greece, Italy and Spain intensified the situation (Bloomberg, 2013). So this countries import less to overcome the crisis and are out of the question of a potential markets. There is one matter occurred within the global economic crisis especially in Europe that could have a huge affect on the German beer industry in future. The European Union follows a common policy outwards in interests of each country. But in times of economic crisis like in Greece, the idea of a common Identity of several nations within the European Union failed. Many Greeks for instance are blaming Germany and France to benefiting from their spending for Greece in order to help (The Independent, 2012). Both are the main supporters for Greece attempt to overcome the crisis by attempt to support investment and economic growth there (RTE, 2012). But as mentioned, not only Greece; Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy are heavily indebted countries, who are next to face the economic crisis in an extreme kind (BBC, 2012). Situations like these can destroy a common relationship between countries within the EU, because everyone seeks for reasons for the fail of the economy in each country and as it had been said especially Greece is blaming the policy of EU about that. This fact forces countries and governments to shut themselves off from the EU and concentrate on local policy, economy and matters instead showing common interest in the EU as a whole. This could lead people to think more nationalized and consumption could concentrate on domestic products instead of expensive imports, like of a good quality German beer, to save money. These happenings, particularly in Europe, show a negative initial situation for German beer industry and as we said above potential markets in Europe in the future. According to the case study the German breweries are fractionalised and got smaller financial resources than their competitors, which is hindering the Industry to expand overseas an enter new markets to gain sustain success and profit. Like Koenig says in the study the German market is saturated and as I said before the economic crisis in Europe precludes a potential market there. Emerging markets are potential markets because for instance of several factors like the market size in China etc. and according to the paper the fact that customers are ready to pay more for quality in emerging markets. Economy in China for example has continued to grow, while the economy in Europe has fallen into a critical situation. Increased consumer spending and the open business policy of China provide really new opportunities for western companies (B2B International, no date). The expansion to such markets is related with new costs, which complicates the operations of the German beer industry, because of small financial resources. Grave et al. (2012) analyzed the beer industry in China in a journal article in the case of Carlsberg. The paper argues that Porter’s (1980) differentiation or focus strategy may work in western countries, but not in emerging ones. The challenge is, it says, to maintain value proposition as a quality beer while responding to local demands. The Five forces industry analysis resulted that there is a high competition in the Chinese beer market, high supplier power, low buyer power, medium threats of entrants with high entry barriers, i. e. language barriers, and low to medium threats of substitutes. So no matter how attractive emerging markets are, it might be risky to enter China; but first you are established, you will gain big success. This success requires financial resources, which German breweries can only gain by consolidation with associated German breweries or joint ventures with Chinese companies. Carlsberg gained big success by Chinese acquisitions and undergone little affects of the economic crisis, so the journal article. So certain German breweries should get together to share costs and try to enter new emerging markets – as we mentioned European and German markets are almost saturated; if they do not try to find new markets, most of them will collapse, raddled from the impacts of the global economic crisis by declining numbers in consumption, less buying power and changes in buying behaviours. 3. With reference to the EU market only, explain how contemporary cultural and social changes might affect the future development of the German Beer industry. Cultural and social changes are macro environmental matters that businesses have to adapt on to stay competitive. Consumer preferences are dynamic and invariably changing. As consumer preferences have to form adaptations, companies have to consider trends to produce goods which satisfy consumer needs in real. Not only demographic changes, on which I will be come back later, but different ethnical, religious, racial groups and changes in proportion of gender within a society can affect companies in their businesses (Richards, no date). By referring to the Paper an important social change is that more and more people in Europe and in the world become more health conscious. This includes government decisions about penalties related with alcohol in public and suggestions, like it says in the study, to general lifestyle and nutrition of the public. Science and medicine promote this trend by distribute the opinion that long term use of alcohol leads to cancer, liver failure, neurological, psychological and social problems (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Wellness products are shaping food markets, especially in Germany. Health is status symbol for newly olds and young people are interested in healthy products, as well to prevent illness (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2010). Further drinking beer has a bad image today. We associate beer drinking with lushes and riots in football stadiums. In an era in which apparently health and wellness plays a significant role, especially people who cares about their outward appearances, do not drink beer, because they do not want a beer-belly (Reilly, 2012). These described trends can have a significant affect on German beer industry, especially in a shrinking market, like the paper says. According to the Study besides this there is a declining number of consumption of beer. A low birth rate in Germany, within a declining number of population impacts every area in life and influence economy, as well. (Bundesministerium des Innern, 2011). Particularly demographic changes in Germany and Europe lead to a cease of the core target group. A low birth rate in Germany, within a declining number of population impacts every area in life and influence economy, as well. In addition the case study provides that younger generations prefer to drink alcopops and mixed beers instead of traditional beer. The beer industry recognized the demand and for example the German brewery Schofferhofer gained a big success in 2007 with Schofferhofer Grapefruit – a mixed wheat beer with grapefruit extract. Bitburger, another famous German brewery introduced Copa, a Caipirinha flavoured beer and a pomegranate flavoured one, containing less alcohol to satisfy health awareness of customers (Strohmaier, 2007). Therefore more German breweries have to adapt their beers to local consumer preferences and trends to gain sustainable success in future, which is associated with new costs, like for research and development. Small breweries are threatened, because of small financial resources. Besides that the sophisticated choice of alcoholic drinks is wine, as the study says. At this end the low consumption of beer, changing buying behaviour of German price sensitive customers and less buying power of customers in Europe within the economic global crisis reduce chances of German beer industries of a positive development in the future at the moment. In addition cultural and social changes, like demographic changes, health consciousness, trends of new generations and government behaviour against alcohol consumption, argued above, are threats for the German beer industry, especially in the case of small breweries.

Three Information Systems Development Methods Information Technology Essay

Three Information Systems Development Methods Information Technology Essay Information system in this present period is been used by organisations, institutions, businesses and many industries. Information system development method is a general technique and procedures that is been followed in stages by system developers in the process of building a system. However, there are different types of information system development method which will be stated later in the report. The main aim of this report is to briefly compare three types of information systems development methods (ISDM) out of the several types of ISDM that exist which will be stated later in the report. Although, this report is more interested in the common methods that are mostly used such as waterfall method, spiral method and systems development life cycle method. In addition to the compared method this report has also adopted six related topics that are connected and interrelated to the information system development method. These six topics include information systems development method, types of information system development methodologies, difference between software development methodology (SDM) and SDLC, difference between system analysis and system design and introduction to project management. The Waterfall Method The waterfall information system development method is one of the easiest and straight forward information systems development method that talks about series of activities in the others of requirement, design, implementation, verification, and maintenance which are done in stages were each stage of the activity stated have to be hundred percent accomplished before the following section can be done (Davidson, 2002). In addition, Cadle Yeates (2004, pp. 77-78) also explained that the end product of each section of the waterfall method is used as an inputs to the product of the following stage as a result it does not permit you to review the previous stage once it is crossed just like the way water flows sequentially. Consequently, Hurst (2007) also analyzed that the waterfall information systems development method has been argued by many to be a bad method because it is not possible for a project to get one stage fully completed and corrected before making ahead to the following stage . However, Hughes et al (2004) one of the biggest advantages the waterfall method has over spiral and system development life cycle is that its make good use of time in terms of management, very easy to manage and it is mostly used for smaller project were all requirements are known. Though, it also has some drawbacks which include high level of risk, been disciplined in completing each stage of the activities in the model. The series of activities in the waterfall method is shown in the diagram below. Fig 1: Waterfall model The Spiral Method This is another type of information systems development method just like the waterfall and the system development life cycle method that also has series of activities that have to be done one after the other but in a different approach. The spiral method combines the important features of both the waterfall method and the prototyping method and most concerned about risk analysis (Dawson, 2005). Although, the spiral method has four stages compared to the waterfall and system development life cycle method which is in the stated order, determine objective, identify and resolve risk, development and testing then finally plan the next execution. All these levels that are mentioned are constantly repeated over and over again section by section until all the difficulties of the waterfall method are rectify. However, some of it advantages is that it is not use for minor project, it takes a very long time to be completed and also it is very expensive to manage. Similarly, it also has some limitations which include, controlling high level of risk analysis in a system development and also used for project were all requirement are complex. Thus it could be concluded that the spiral information system development method is mostly used for larger and complicated system development where the entire requirements are very difficult to understand compared to the waterfall and system development life cycle method. A diagram showing how the spiral method works is shown below: Fig 2: Spiral model. System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Method This is also another type of information system development method similar to the waterfall and the spiral method with series of activities followed in a circular other in stages through which every developer, database designer and project manager pass through as to develop an information system (Radack, 2009). The system development life cycle method is the overall cognitive process that takes place in the development of information systems in a gradual manner until there is an achievement of the best quality in the development of a system. In addition, (Dawson, 2005) also stated that the system development life cycle is the general process of developing, implementing, and constructing information systems through a multistep process from Requirement, Design, Build, Test and maintenance. However, some its features includes dividing stages into sub stages for easy management and also gives a room for going back to stage when there is a problem unlike the waterfall information system development method. It also has some limitations which includes not meeting the users requirements, not been stable, having lack of control and also having problems with documenting. On this basis, it can be inferred that the SDLC is a procedure that every information system development must pass through even if each of them emphasizes on different part of the five stages of the SDLC method. Below is a diagram that shows how the stages in the SDLC take place in a circular form moving from one stage to the other. Fig 3: System development life cycle model Information systems development method. A brief introduction of information system development method has been given at the beginning of this report but it will be better to look as the definition its self. Information systems development method (ISDM) is defined as: A collection of procedures, techniques, tools and documentation aids which help the system developers in their efforts to implement a new information system. A methodology will consist of phases, themselves consisting of sub phases, which will guide the systems developers in their choice of the techniques that might be appropriate at each stage of project and also help them plan, manage, control and evaluate information systems project (Avison Fitzgerald, 2006, p. 24). It is clear therefore that the information systems development methods concentrate on the general process of development. Categories of Information System Development Methods. Different categories of information systems development methods are considered in the outgrowth of developing an application. Although, every information systems development method has its own special way of approaching each stage of the ISDM process. Thus, the information system development method that exist include: Agile, SSM, SSADM, RAD, PRINCE, Spiral, SDLC, Waterfall, Object oriented, XP etc (Banks Wood-Harper, 2005). However, this information systems development method follows the same procedure known as life cycle. Difference between Software development methodology SDM and SDLC. Britton Doake (2006) differentiated the different between a software development methodology and system development life cycle as, a software development life cycle is mainly concerned about the overall development model of a system with different level of constructing procedures in addition to the sections and protocols that has to be used in completing each sections whereas a system development life cycle is strictly a sequence of activities that are carried out by designers and analyst to produced and implement an information system. Difference between System Analysis and System Design. Shelly (2008, p. 22) explain that System Analysis is the process of collecting or gathering all useful and possible requirement regarding the information system to be developed from the users and also determining how it will be put into the development of the system whereas System design is the process whereby all the requirement that was collected and analyzed during the system analysis stage is put together in the design of the system. Introduction to Project Management According to Kerzner (2006, pp.55-58), Project management can be defined as every unit of activity put to consideration or executed in achieving a common goal or task and the measurement of project success based on time, cost, and quality performance or scope critical success factors. However, information system development or project must be well managed in other to be successful. This is where project management is involved. In addition, project management deals more with the management of a project emphasizing more on time, cost and scope which are the most important issues in a project. Therefore, the main reason for managing a project is to present a well documented work or system development within a specific time in a full flesh package and of the best quality. Conclusion In conclusion, this report has been able to make a good comparison of three types of information system development methods which were waterfall, spiral and system development life cycle methods. In addition, it has also been able to include and discussed six topics that were related to information system development method.

Study About The Micros Opera Reservation System

Study About The Micros Opera Reservation System Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is well known as an owner and operator of prestigious hotels in Asia and around the world. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Singapore is a global leader in terms of technology services provided as part of its first-class hospitality. Mandarin Oriental (1), it pays special attention to technologies because there guests demand the most advanced technology services at the hotel. The hotel is planning to introduce new functions in the future while keeping a close watch on the latest Information Technology trends. Mandarin oriental Singapore has the latest and the most advance information technology being used in the hotel industry. According to the study and the data gathered which was not an easy job and to clearly mention the proper information about the information technology being used by Mandarin Oriental hotel are Opera reservation system which helps Mandarin Oriental to have a competitive advantage because of its key features and help them to be a key player in the reservation system in the hotel and on the other hand Mandarin oriental is using Micros Point of sale which helps them to be very close to the customers as Point of sale offers a fully integrated solution for Restaurants, Bars, Clubs and Cafes with tools to help you focus more on customers and with technology, from table management through to fast cash transactions. The other information technology used by the hotel is Open Table Restaurant and Guest management software, Open Table lets us give customers the feeling that, these people know who I am and they care about what I want and what I like and dont like. The Open Table System really helps us because it allows us to track every customer that comes in. All these information technology used by Mandarin oriental helps them to have good competitive advantage and have a better customer oriented hotel and cater all the customers needs, using latest information technology. All the information gathered, the recommendation would be Micros Opera Reservation System as its the advance central reservation system and has lots of key features which make it to have a competitive advantage. 2. Introduction Mandarin Oriental Hotel is one of the leading five star brands well known for its prestigious hotel in Singapore and around the world. It offers personalized service which is based on two key features Legendary Service, and Sense of Place. Mandarin Oriental is also a technology leader in five star hospitality industries, with the latest information technologies to achieve a higher level of service. Mandarin Oriental (1). The goal of Mandarin oriental hotel is to completely delight and satisfy our guests, they are committed to making a difference every day; continually getting better and be the best. Mandarin Oriental (1), Keep the guest happy and satisfied by using the best information technology in the hotel service is the bars, restaurants, in room services, and check in and check out services, all to make guest feel at home, to provide a better deal of service and satisfaction by implementing latest information technology. Mandarin Oriental (1) Mandarin Oriental Hotel one of leaders in terms of information technology services. There are three kinds of information technology which we are focusing on which helps the hotel to have a competitive advantage. Opera reservation system used in checking in and checking out the guest even though this is advance system which helps to provide a better service to the guests, has its own key features which helps it to have competitive advantage. The restaurant (Dolce Vita) is using Micros Point of sale (POS) this technology helps the restaurant to run smooth and in an organized manner even helps them to focus more on customers and with technology. The other system which they are using is Open Table restaurant, this technology helps them to focus on the customers and their needs, demands. Its an Open Table restaurant and Guest management software. These kinds of technology helps to pay special attention towards the demands and needs, even though the guest may be from the financial or entertainment industry, as well as guests who are seeking leisure activities. What ever kind of guest all are looking for a better information technology service they can get. Micros Opera Reservation System (ORS) The Opera Reservation System (ORS) is one of the most advance reservation system which helps easy check in and check out of the guest. It is major technology used in front line of the hotel. ORS easily handles all types of reservations individual, group, party, company, travel agent, and waitlisted According to the research and study done these are the key features of Opera Reservation System. Opera (2) Global Perspective: Opera Reservation system supports all kinds of currency and different languages. Room rates and revenues can be easily converted from the local currency to any other currency to make it easy for the guest. ORS is able to support any language depends on the guest profile. All the information needed such as property, room rate can be displayed in different language. Automatic Rate and Inventory Controls: Opera reservation system lets you set up rate of an individual and for groups. Helps to control inventory and makes inventory management easy and this increases profit. Room rates can be generated on the percentage occupancy. Agents are allowed to use the hotel reservation system to access the best rates for the amount of length of stay order to increase property revenues. Full Reservation Functionality: When agents are making a booking on the Opera reservation system they can easily do multiple operations such as routing instruction, split charges, shared reservations, frequent flyer and loyalty program memberships, negotiated rates, and discounts. Deposit transactions are transferred to room. Efficient Searching: Opera reservation system helps to check for availability on other properties and other chain of hotel. ORS makes the search easier just with some criteria such as property name, location, package, attractions and attractions. Group and Block Features: Managing group and blocking reservations is easy in the Opera reservation system. Room blocking, rooming lists, room sharing, deposits, tour series are handled by Opera reservation system. Multi-Property Rate Display: Opera reservation system can show rates, room types, and packages for one property and for multiple properties at the same time agents can easily query for different dates when the requested dates are not available. Benefits: Easy to learn and user-friendly with a good search engine and helps to enhance revenue. Opera reservation system handles deposits and room blocking. Multi-Property itinerary reservations are handled easily. Global Distribution Interface: Opera reservation system can work together with GDS (Global Distribution System) interface that allows travel agencies to confirm bookings and send the information. These keys features help Opera reservation system to have competitive advantage and make it really advance software technology used in hotels. Disadvantages: Even though Opera Reservation System is one of the advance reservation system it still has its own draw back, while doing night audit ORS is bit slow. ORS can consume time doing the night audit on the other hand Fidelio is faster. Micros Point of Sale (POS) Point of sale is one of the best and better information technology solution which a restaurants, Bars, Clubs and Cafes can have and with tools to help you focus more on customers and with technology, from managing all the tables to fast transactions. Point of sale is helpful to your retail, bar, concierge and snack bars. Point of sale system software will help you to have a better level of control over your business operations, increasing efficiency, profits. Mandarin oriental restaurant are using the point of sale (Dolce Vita) POS (3) The most basic Point of sale system consists of: Computer Cash drawer Receipt printer Monitor Keyboard According to all the research and study done POS has its competitive advantage and key features which helps it to be a more efficient than cash register. POS (3) Requires little training time for the staff Full-colour touch screen provides fast and easy order entry and guest check features Built-in multi-language Personal IDs or magnetic cards, set to control access for people who can make changes quickly Restaurant managers can change menus and prices Add or edit employee information and perform other administrative functions. Quick and easy to install. Minimum disruption to your business flow. Reduces labor costs Prevents loss, Inaccurate orders, leading to waste and revenue loss, no order excepted until put in Micros POS. Eliminate manual errors and helps to see which person has done the mistake so next time he can fix the manual mistake. Serve guests effectively and therefore creates return customers. Allows you to make quick price changes and menu changes from any work station. Accepts major credit cards. Disadvantages: Micros Point of sale is one of the best information technology software, its really user friendly and easy to learn on the other hand it has its own drawbacks. Point of sale some time hangs the system so there is need to be restarting the system and takes time. Problem in reading damaged magnetic strips Some times not compatible to some debit cards even they are Visa or MasterCard, from different part of world. Micros Point of sale Open Table Restaurant and Guest management. Open Table give customers the feeling that, these people know who I am and they care about what I want and what I like and dont like. The Open Table System really helps us because it allows us to track every customer that comes. A customer may not have been in for eight months but we can still say, Hello, Mr. Johnson. Its so nice to see you again. It really helps to have personal service towards the guest and the guest feels obliged towards that kind of service rendered towards him, Open table software helps to do good service with the help of technology towards your customer. With Open Table you dont have to keep it in your head, its all there in front of you and makes your service smooth. Guests are always impressed that were able to recognize them. Open Table improves our guest reservation management process. No matter who takes the reservation, we can now quickly identify regulars. Mandarin Oriental is using Open table as it provides a customized service to its guest. According to the study done by open table the most booked open table restaurants are: Open table (4) Mortons The Steakhouse Singapore MELT ~ The World Cafà © Cherry Garden Dolce Vita These restaurants are operating in Mandarin oriental. Open table (5) The key features that makes Open table have a competitive advantage and makes them a better information technology are Reservation Management Easily enter or change reservations while viewing guest histories Phone numbers, email and mailing addresses Allow blocking and VIP (seat blocking) Reduce no-shows with customer tracking (by calling) Take reservations from your website or Open Table 24 hours a day Table Management Maximize capacity management in seating with walk-in and waitlist. Instantly track covers for more efficient kitchen and server management Increase table turn according to group sitting choice Store multiple reservation and special events Hold and combine tables for large parties Record and view shift notes for each day Guest Management Identify regulars and VIP guests Customer preferences to meet special requests View customer reservation histories Track special occasions such as guest birthdays and anniversaries Marketing Management Track and reward concierge business Accept parking coupons Disadvantages: Open Table restaurant and Guest Management has its key features but has its own drawbacks as well, Open table sometimes hangs the system, whenever there are large functions table assorting is to be done every time to allocate the correct tables to the guest. Changes have to be done before every function according to the covers in the Open Table software. 6. Recommendations According to all the research and study done about the information technology used in Mandarin Oriental, the most successful technology used by them is Micros Opera Reservation system as it gives them a competitive advantage and has major key features which help to be the most advance reservation software, OPERA Reservation System a true centrally managed central reservation system. Even tough it has some draw backs but in long run its a vital information technology used by the hotel. 7. Conclusions Micros plays a major role in the information technology today as it has the best and advance information technology and software which helps hotels to be better, be more advance, provide good service which the guest likes to have. Micros have competitive advantage gained through use of information technology and implementations of information technology system in the hospitality industry make them a market that caters all the different needs of every kind of customer, who needs to be taken care of his or her needs. The technology used by the hotel helps then to gain advantage over their competitors and make them a better place for leisure and business for every person who can relate themselves and their needs. Even though this information technology has draw backs but in long run they sustain and manage well and help them to get good customer response.

Thomas Young :: biographies bio physics physicist

Thomas Young (1773-1829) Thomas Young was a brilliant man throughout his life. At a young age of fourteen, he was familiar with Latin, Greek, French, Italian, Hebrew, Arabic, and Persian. He was so educated in a variety of areas that his peers called him Phenomena Young. This Englishman found interest in languages, medicine, nature, and light. He did his studies in London, Edinburgh, and Gà ¶ttingen, and practiced medicine in London. With his strong interest in sense perception, he was able to make many realizations and discoveries about the eye. For example, he was the first to realize the eye focuses by changing the shape of the lens, he discovered the cause of astigmatism, and he and Helmoltz initiated the three color theory of perception. In 1801, regardless of the uncertainty from other scientists, his double-slit experiment established that light was a wave motion, making his famous. Over the years, he gained new interests. He started studying Egyptology, and while he was one Napoleon’s expedit ions he started studying the texts of Rosetta Stone. This in time helped to decipher the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic writing. Some other interests that Young acquired over the years, leading him to more discoveries are surface tension, elasticity and energy. He even worked as a professor at schools, including the Royal Institution and Cambridge University. Thomas Young was a smart, well educated English physician and physicist. His love for his work and interests allowed him to make discoveries that help us to this day, and to be remembered and acknowledged as â€Å"†¦a man alike eminent in almost every department of human learning.† Lifelong Accomplishments 1773 -Thomas Young is born 1792 -Young decided on a career in medicine. 1793 -Presented a paper before the Royal Society in which he attributed the accommodation of the eye to its muscular structure 1794 -Elected to membership of the Royal Society -After completing his medical studies at Edinburgh and Gà ¶ttingen, he returned to London to practice but continued his scholarly studies at Emmanuel College, Cambridge -His uncle died, making him financially independent, allowing him to pursue his real interests 1798 -Some investigations on sound and light formed the starting point for his theory of interference 1799 -Began his medical practice in London -While attending medical school, he discovered how the lens of the human eye changes shape to focus on objects at different distances 1800 -Published his experiments on Sound and Light in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society 1801 -Discovered the cause of astigmatism -Young and Helmholtz initiated the three color theory of perception.

The Portrayal of Women in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay

Women have gained equality with men over the many centuries of the evolution of the modern western civilization. Hence, it cannot be overlooked that there still exist many literary examples of social disregard for woman potential. Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" exemplifies the Western patriarchal gender roles in which women are given the inferior status. Not only are women portrayed as being inferior to men, but Marlow's (the protagonist's) seldom mentioning of them in his Congo adventure narrative symbolizes his view of their insignificance. There is a total of five women presented in Marlow's narrative but only three of them are significant minor characters: Marlow's aunt, Kurtz's African mistress, and Kurtz's "Intended." The following essay will examine how the presentation of each of these three women in Marlow's narrative contributes to connecting events in the story. Despite the generalized view of women of his time, Marlow's narrative indicates a more specified view of the value of women which suggest that they are all naà ¯ve but with culturally dependent personas. In presenting female characters, Marlow may have intended to add more essence to his narrative. Nonetheless, each of their appearances and his descriptions of them served to be metaphoric, yet powerful contributions to the story line. From the beginning, Marlow sends a clear message to the reader regarding his position on the image of women. He relates how he "tried the women" after he found no man to help him achieve his travelling and trading ambitions. He did something out of the ordinary for his time; he went to a woman for financial aid. Because this woman is actually his aunt, one might argue that perhaps Marlow is not thankful enough to his... ...he associates her with having powerful qualities, she is still considered naà ¯ve for not having expected departure from Kurtz. She displays sorrow and grief as she throws her hands to the sky as the steamboat pulls away. Finally, Marlow uses Kurtz's Intended to support his view of women as being accurate. In order to save their fantasy worlds, Marlow argues that men can stoop as low as lying. In unique ways the three significant female figures influence the development of Marlow's story but they do not influence the theme of the story; which is Marlow's exploration of the darkness of the human soul. Preserving the "beautiful world" of women as Marlow suggests denies women journey into the Darkness. Their role is therefore limited to their cultural environment and their own world because they might not have the strength to handle all the difficulties and temptation. The Portrayal of Women in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness Essay Women have gained equality with men over the many centuries of the evolution of the modern western civilization. Hence, it cannot be overlooked that there still exist many literary examples of social disregard for woman potential. Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" exemplifies the Western patriarchal gender roles in which women are given the inferior status. Not only are women portrayed as being inferior to men, but Marlow's (the protagonist's) seldom mentioning of them in his Congo adventure narrative symbolizes his view of their insignificance. There is a total of five women presented in Marlow's narrative but only three of them are significant minor characters: Marlow's aunt, Kurtz's African mistress, and Kurtz's "Intended." The following essay will examine how the presentation of each of these three women in Marlow's narrative contributes to connecting events in the story. Despite the generalized view of women of his time, Marlow's narrative indicates a more specified view of the value of women which suggest that they are all naà ¯ve but with culturally dependent personas. In presenting female characters, Marlow may have intended to add more essence to his narrative. Nonetheless, each of their appearances and his descriptions of them served to be metaphoric, yet powerful contributions to the story line. From the beginning, Marlow sends a clear message to the reader regarding his position on the image of women. He relates how he "tried the women" after he found no man to help him achieve his travelling and trading ambitions. He did something out of the ordinary for his time; he went to a woman for financial aid. Because this woman is actually his aunt, one might argue that perhaps Marlow is not thankful enough to his... ...he associates her with having powerful qualities, she is still considered naà ¯ve for not having expected departure from Kurtz. She displays sorrow and grief as she throws her hands to the sky as the steamboat pulls away. Finally, Marlow uses Kurtz's Intended to support his view of women as being accurate. In order to save their fantasy worlds, Marlow argues that men can stoop as low as lying. In unique ways the three significant female figures influence the development of Marlow's story but they do not influence the theme of the story; which is Marlow's exploration of the darkness of the human soul. Preserving the "beautiful world" of women as Marlow suggests denies women journey into the Darkness. Their role is therefore limited to their cultural environment and their own world because they might not have the strength to handle all the difficulties and temptation.

Compare Popes and Swifts Ideas on Reason Essay -- essays research pape

Reason’s Significance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most important differences between humans and all other forms of life can be seen in our ability to think and rationalize our decisions and choices as humans. Without reason, we as humans would be no different than a cat or dog. God, in his infinite wisdom, blessed man with the ability to reason, but left it entirely up to us whether or not we choose to use it. Alexander Pope and Jonathon Swift, two prominent writers of the eighteenth century, take two very different approaches when it comes to the importance or insignificance of reason. Pope chooses to argue that reason is the balancing factor in our lives and helps us to achieve the most possible success if we listen to its judgment. Swift, on the other hand, chooses to take reason to the extreme and show the effects of its very possible distortion. Although entirely different, these men show the very best and worst applications of reason. In â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels,† Jonathon Swift shows what happens when we place too much emphasis on reason. In his satire, Swift pokes fun at those who are consumed with the Enlightenment way of thinking. He believes that to place reason in such high esteem is not as necessary as some are making it out to be. Although he seems to believe that reason has its place in our society and every day life, it is not the governing factor by which we should live. In â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† we see what can happen when people loose touch with reason and the consequences that follow their decisions. In Gulliver’s third voyage to the island of Laputa, Swift pokes fun at those that are obsessed with learning science and abstract thought. He gives us a detailed account of the inhabitant’s lives and daily activities. He begins to describe the Laputians physically by saying that they always have their head tilted to one side or another. He also talks of the eyes of the citizens. He claims that one is poked out, looking upward and the other is turned slightly inward. Swift satirizes their attention span as well. He tells that someone must follow the inhabitants around and continuously poke their ears or mouths because their attention span is so short and they must be remind to pay attention. He even goes as far as to make fun of the clothes they wear. He tells that they are covered with musical instruments and various forms of celestial... ...oes on around us. Pope shows us the importance of having reason and how it serves as a guard for the ultimate fulfillment of our lives as both humans and individuals. Without the ability to reason, we would make many mistakes and would quite possibly be very disappointed in ourselves and in the way our lives turn out. He presents man as unique with only humans having the ability to reason. He also shows the importance of free choice showing that we ourselves chose whether or not we listen to reason. Animals merely give into their passions, but man has a choice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overall I must say that I enjoyed both of these interesting, insightful and quite disturbing accounts of the importance of reason and what happens when it no longer used. I would have to say that I enjoyed reading Pope’s account of the importance of reason much more, but Swift was also quite interesting. It amazes me how two men are able to look at one principle and interpret it in two completely different manners. Whether we choose to value reason or cast it aside, I have learned we must be careful not to take it to either extreme, for therein the problems lie. Hope this helps all you guys!!!

Mastering Teacher Leadership Business Research Essay

This case presents a situation that is quite common in the education field and addresses the responses by institutions to new legislation imposed upon them. As is often the case, the legislators do not address the impacts to organizations, leaving the actual implementation to the end user (i.e., public and private schools). In this particular case, Wittenburg University (WU) is faced with the decision of whether to develop and deliver a Master of Arts degree in classroom leadership. 1.) Build the management-research question hierarchy for this opportunity. The initial step in the research is the creation of a management-research question hierarchy, to formalize the process. For this case study, the management-research hierarchy is presented in Appendix A. The purpose of this hierarchy is to examine the various stages of the research question and present a logical sequence of increasing focus that will allow the development of a survey instrument that can be delivered to potential pro gram applicants. The initial stage is to identify and state the management dilemma, which in this case is the impending new legislation. The State of Ohio intends to require all licenced teachers to have, or complete, a master’s degree before obtaining their second licensure to teach. Given that this is new legislation and WU is not obligated to offer a program, the â€Å"management dilemma† actually presents an opportunity for WU to develop a new degree program, thereby increasing revenue for the university. The second stage of the process is to identify the management questions. In this case, WU needs to decide what purpose would the new program serve?; would this program duplicate teacher development courses?; what format should the new program utilize (e.g., part-time, distance)? The third stage addresses the particular research questions: Does WU have the faculty/administrative capacity to offer the full program?; is there sufficient return on investment to offer the program?; and if all is positive, should WU develop and offer the program. Investigative questions, as part of a survey instrument should examine the demand for the program, what is the potential market, what other competition exists, and what would the program-costing model look like. One other variable that should be explored is the potential of Ohio teachers moving to  another state to avoid the legislation. On a similar scale, movement within the policing industry is often impacted by similar factors, so this question should be examined. The final stage of the process is that actual measurement component, whereby researchers will examine the demographic information, correlate and analyze the data collected from the surveys. In order to increase the confidence level of the analysis, survey questions should utilize appropriate ranking/rating scales, and ensure open-ended questions are avoided. Once the data has been analyzed, researchers will be able to provide WU administrators with sufficient information upon which to base a decision on whether to pro ceed with the program. 2. Evaluate the appropriateness of the exploratory stage of the research design. As noted earlier, the new State of Ohio legislation presents an opportunity for WU to implement a new graduate study program, and increase their enrollments. Before proceeding to the program development stage, however, WU needs to conduct exploratory research to guide their decision making process. An initial step in the process is to conduct secondary research, utilizing available resources, to identify similar programs (i.e., competition) and responses to similar legislation in other states. Given that the majority of this secondary data will be discovered via internet searches, the researchers should conduct a source evaluation. The course text identifies five factors to evaluate secondary data: â€Å"Purpose – the explicit or hidden agenda of the information source Scope – the breadth and depth of topic coverage, including time period, geographical limitations, and the criteria for information inclusion. Authority – the level of data (primary, secondary, tertiary) and the credentials of the source author(s) Audience – the characteristics and background of the people or groups for whom the source was created Format – how the information is presented and the degree of ease of locating specific information within the source.† (Cooper & Schindler, 2008, p. 109) Sources of appropriate data could include alumni surveys from WU, State of Ohio statistics related to post secondary institutions, national data bases, and a study of existing Master of Education (MEd) programs. By utilizing the above noted filters to secondary information, the researchers will be able to ensure they have considered all variables and factors in making a  decision. 3. Evaluate the sampling strategy. In this case study, WU mailed the survey to all of the 1,600 identified teachers residing in Clark County, which is the home county of WU; essentially this is not a sample, but rather a census. The remaining 400 surveys were then mailed to â€Å"systematic sampling† to teachers in the surrounding counties. I see an issue with this, as the parameters of the systematic sampling are not detailed; for example, were teachers who already completed a MEd degree included in the sample? I would suggest that the 400 surveys were mailed to a convenience sampling rather than a proper probability sample. Factors such as these may have contributed to the low response rate from the survey. Given the implementation time line of the new legislation, it would have been valuable to survey potential teachers (i.e., those currently in an undergraduate program), as they would likely form the WU MEd cohort. This would give a clearer picture of the market potential of the program. 4. Prepare a preliminary analysis plan for this study. Which variables do you want frequencies on? Why? The initial stage of the data correlation and analysis would be the proper coding of the data and entry into an appropriate software database. For this case study, the data was presented as an Excel file, so the exploratory data analysis would include a complete descriptive statistical calculations and frequencies for applicable questions. I would suggest questions that create nominal or ordinal data are the most appropriate for frequency tables, and provide a clearer picture of the survey respondents. The data sets may be utilized to confirm if the teacher sample is representative of the overall population, and cross tabulations conducted to draw correlations between categories. I would suggest that data specifically addressing respondents who require a master’s degree, or those contemplating pursuing higher education would be of particular interest, as they represent the p otential student market. Researchers will also need to account for non-response errors and missing data within the coding and analysis stages 5. Which variables do you want to cross-tabulate? Why? Given the nature of the research questions, it would be beneficial to identity, through crosstabulations, those teachers who have not yet applied for their second licensure to teach and what level of education those teachers currently have. This would clarify the potential  market for the WU program. In addition, cross-tabulations to identify potential teachers relative to their home counties would give a clearer picture of those teachers who could/would realistically attend the WU program over another program closer to their homes. A final cross tabulation that may prove beneficial is the number of teachers who currently are not impacted by the new legislation, but may look to the WU MEd. program for professional development courses. As noted earlier, the new legislation presents an opportunity for to expand upon their graduate level programs, but given the costs to initiate a new program, the decision to proceed  must be based upon valid and credible research data. Therefore, the exploratory research undertaken is critical, as it will form the foundation for any decisions made by the university administration. References Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2008). Business research methods. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Practical research planning and design. Upper Saddle River, NY: Pearson Education Inc. 6

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle of Bits, Pilani-Dubai Campus for the International Aerial Robotics Competition 2011

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle of BITS, Pilani-Dubai Campus for the International Aerial Robotics Competition 2011 Saurabh Ladha, Deepan Kishore Kumar, Robin Singh ,Pavitra Bhalla, Anant Mittal, Aditya Jain, Anshul Upreti, Prof. Dr. R. K. Mittal, Dr Anand Kumar Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani-Dubai Campus, Dubai, UAE ABSTRACT The Intelligent Flying Object for Reconnaissance (IFOR) is an autonomous aerial vehicle that has been developed by BITS Pilani Dubai Campus students.The vehicle is capable of localizing itself using the SLAM algorithm, stabilize its attitude (pitch, roll and yaw) and altitude using PID controllers, plan paths around obstacles and navigate an unknown indoor environment with wall following guidance. In addition, it has been designed to be capable of pattern recognition which would enable it to recognize images and signs. These features enable the IFOR to execute the 6th mission of the International Aerial Robotics Competition, which involves scanning an unknown indoor arena protected by laser barriers and cameras, bestrewn with obstacles, in the search for a flash drive. 1.INTRODUCTION The field of robotics is witnessing a paradigm shift in the operation and use of robots. With robots becoming autonomous and intelligent day by day, their application and use has increased tremendously. Aerial robots specifically have an edge over other autonomous vehicles due to its higher degrees of freedom in motion and agile maneuverability. To tap these features and advance the applications and versatility of the quadrotor is the aim of the team. 1. 1 Problem Statement The 6th mission of the IARC requires teams to infiltrate a military facility from which a flash drive has to be retrieved and replaced by a decoy.This flash drive is placed in the ‘Office of the Chief of Security’, identifiable by a unique Arabic pattern. To reach this room, a vehicle must explore a ‘maze’ of rooms avoiding randomly placed obstacles alon g its path. In addition it must also avoid detection by a camera and laser barriers placed within the arena. Once the target pen drive is found it must retrieve the object after dropping a decoy in its place, the entire mission must be performed in under 10 minutes. 1. 2 Conceptual Solution Team IFOR will be using a quadrotor as its aerial vehicle to execute the 6th mission.The vehicle will use wall following guidance to explore the maze, whilst a path planning system shall continuosly scan the environment to plan optimum paths around obstacles. Localization in a global frame can be accomplished using the SLAM algorithm, the output of which can be used by a Drift Control system to Page 1 of 10 correct unintentional drift. The Image processing routine runs in parallel to find recognizable patterns in its surrounding. Ground Station Wi- ­? Fi 2. 4 GHz Hokuyo scanning laser range finder Camera Guidance, Navigation, Control - ­? Mission planner - ­? Wall following guidance - ­? Path planning  ­? Target retrieval - ­? Pattern matching CoreExpress breakout board Intel Atom Z530 Image recognition Analog 72 MHz Safety Pilot Inertial Measurement Unit - ­? MEMS gyro sensors - ­? 3D magnetic compass - ­? 3 axis accelerometer ARM7 Microprocessor Stability Augmentation System - ­? Altitude hold - ­? Attitude hold Motors Sonar Altimeter Figure of Overall system architecture 1. 3 Yearly Milestones In the second year of the 6th Mission, Team IFOR intends to fly autonomously, navigate through the arena, and implement drift control, path planning and image processing(limited to recognition of the pen drive and signboards).SLAM will serve as a base system for the IFOR to successfully run all other systems that are directly dependent on the localized coordinates. Flash drive retrieval mechanism will be developed in the following year. Page 2 of 10 2. Air vehicle The team is using an off the shelf quadrotor from Ascending Technologies, the Asctec Pelican Quad rotor. The Pelican weighs about 980 g and has a payload capacity of 500 g, ideally suited for covert missions. The Asctec Pelican quadrotor and the propeller action. 2. 1 Propulsion and lift system The quadrotor is a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) rotorcraft which is propelled by four rotors.By appropriately changing the rotor speeds the quadrotor can pitch, roll or yaw. Each of the four propellers produces a downward thrust about the centre of the blades and a torque about the arm of the quadrotor. The quadrotor can be flown either in diamond configuration where the pitch axis is the diagonal of the quadrotor or in square configuration where the axis of the pitch is parallel to two adjacent propellers. If all the four propellers spun in identical directions and speeds, the quadrotor would yaw about its centre of mass.To stabilize this yaw, the two sets of propellers spin in opposite directions and balance the angular momentum generated by the other two propellers. Pitch, in a square configuration, is achieved by reducing the speeds of two propellers (A and B) and increasing the speeds of the two propellers (C and D), this pitches the quadrotor in the direction of A and B. Roll is achieved in a similar way, by increasing speeds of propellers A and D and reducing the speeds of B and D, this rolls the quadrotor in the direction of B and D. 2. 2 Guidance Navigation and Control Control The quadrotor, by nature, is an aerodynamically unstable system.It hence demands to be one that is mechatronic in nature with its dynamics being controlled by PID generated control signals. This automatically calls for the Page 3 of 10 implementation of a feedback system to monitor the quads’ deviations from the desired response. The Asctec Pelican already has a PID controller implemented to control the attitude (pitch,roll and yaw). The Inertial Measurement Unit(IMU) readings are used as inputs for these loops, in addition, yaw control also uses the inputs generated by the magentometer. 2. Stability Augmentation systems The instability of the quadrotor arises from the fact that the aerial vehicles dynamics are electronically varied, which leads to a delay for the mechanical system to respond due to inertial reasons. The commanded attitude is delivered by use of the PID loops already described. In addition we have also implemented an altitude PID controller which can be described as below: Altitude Output = Kc         ? #               +                  1&'      ? #      ()   +*(()   ? +) ?- is the difference between the desired altitude and actual altitude . The MaxSonar LV sonar altimeter is used to for readings on the altitude.A drift control mechanism is also required since milligram imbalances in weight apart from other factors cause a quadrotor to drift unintentionally, the drift control is accomplished via a separate set of loops which can be described as follows: Pitch Output Roll Output = Kc         ? +               +                  1;'      ? +      ()   +*(()   ? +                      = Kc         ?. +                  1&'      ?. ()   +*(()   ?. ) ?/ is the difference between desired pitch and actual pitch ? 0 is the difference between desired roll and actual roll Kc is the controller parameter, from which Kp (Kc * 1), Ki (Kc / Ti) and Kd (Kc ** ) values are obtained.The require the Zeigler Nicholls Tuning method was used to generate optimum values for Kp Ki and Kd. R(s) + – Controller Gc(s) Measured Output System Input Process Gp (s) Control Output Sensor H (s) s: transfer function parameter Figure of control system architecture Page 4 of 10 The three loops described in this section are implemented on the Intel Atom board which is on board the vehicle. 2. 4 Navigation The quadrotor begins ascending and finds the window opening using feature detection. Once the window has been detecte d, the arena is infiltrated after checking whether the camera is on or off.Once inside the arena, the quadrotor moves close to the right wall and performs right wall following algorithm to explore the indoor arena. SLAM forms the base upon which the quadrotor extracts its local coordinates for adjusting drift of movement and also aligns itself with the wall to continue its navigation. The mission planner sets the direction in which the vehicle must move. 2. 5 SLAM The term SLAM is an acronym for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping. SLAM is concerned with the problem of building a map of an unknown environment by a mobile robot while at the same time navigating the environment using the map.SLAM consists of multiple parts; Landmark extraction, data association, state estimation, state update and landmark update. The team has developed a program that extracts data directly from the laser sensor and implements SLAM real-time using CoreSLAM libraries. CoreSLAM is a fully developed sim ple and efficient algorithm, which can perform SLAM using data just from a laser sensor. Due to its computational simplicity, it can easily be used on-board the vehicle. It integrates laser information in its localization subsystem based on particle filter, using two main functions: †¢ †¢ The scan o map distance function, which acts as the likelihood function used to test each state position hypothesis (particle) in the filter. The map update function, used to build the map as the robot is going forward. It uses a very simple Monte-Carlo algorithm to match the current scan with the map to get the updated (x,y) coordinates of the robot position estimate at all times during the mission. This localization is then provided to other higher-level modules such as drift control, path planning and mission planning. Page 5 of 10 2. Flight Termination System The quadrotor though autonomous in its flight can also be manually commanded to abort the flight.A safety kill switch mechanism has been developed in order to attain this safety feature. The kill switch will override all other running programs in the quadrotor and gradually reduce the throttle to zero so that the quadrotor can land safely. The Pelican has a built in termination system in which, the vehicle lands the moment the transmitter falls out of range. This feature is used for Flight termination via a kill switch which shuts the transmitter off and hence causes the vehicle to land. . Payload 3. 1 Sensor suite 3. 1. 1 GNC Sensor Asctec 3D MAG is a triple axis magnetometer that determines the vehicles heading by measuring the earth’s magnetic field. A Hokuyo-Light Detection and Ranging Device is used to scan the environment for SLAM, navigation and obstacle avoidance. A SONAR altimeter is used to measure the altitude of the quadrotor. The quadrotor’s sensory system includes an Inertial Measurement Unit comprising of a Triple axis accelerometer and a MEMS gyrometers. Each of these electroni c components perform crucial role in the flight stability, control and navigation. . 2 Mission sensor 3. 2. 1Target identification The image processing module of the quadrotor is capable of detecting the blue LED which indicates whether the camera is on or off, this is accomplished via blob detection. In addition, it is also capable of detecting signboards using Optical Character Recognition. 3. 2. 2 Obstacle detection and Avoidance The threat avoidance system of the quadrotor is directly a subroutine of the Path planning module. This sub routine identifies obstacles, classifies them as threat if they are in the intended path of travel.On finding an obstacle in the scan, the algorithm proceeds to suitably finding a path that would avoid the obstacle with the minimum possible deviation from the original path. We define a safe distance(the safe distance is contingent on the aerial vehicle’s kinematics) from an obstacle and a minimum clearance width, a scanning range of ? degree s in front of the quadrotor is calculated to be sufficient to identify the existence of an obstacle. If in this scanning angle range, a point is found to be too close to the quadrotor it is declared as an Page 6 of 0 obstacle. This is the point at which the â€Å"growth algorithm† takes over the navigation of the quadrotor. The growth algorithm and path planning are represented as follows: Reduce each scan by ? , thereby ‘growing ‘every obstacle If adajecent points lie too close then reduce by secondary factor ? Considering the quadrotor to be a point calculate the longest free path Assign imporatnce factor to di? erent clear paths based on of deviaRon from original path and total length Yaw towards the set path and pitch forward Repeat unRl no obstacles are found 3. Communications The vehicle communicates with a base computer via an Xbee module over the Zigbee protocol in order to deliver telemetry data. The other communication links include a WiFi link to delive r real time video to the base station. Both of these links operate at 2. 4 Ghz. Finally, a safety pilot can take control over the vehicle at any time using a Futaba radio controller operating at 72 Mhz. 3. 4 Power system The quadrotor is powered by an 11. 1V Lithium Polymer Battery. A power board is used to distribute power and communication lines to all motor controllers and other systems on board.This power board comprises of a switching power regulator to generate a stable Page 7 of 10 6V supply for the Auto Pilot board and a high power MosFET to switch current ON and OFF. 4. Operation 4. 1 Flight preparation Each flight test is performed with utmost precaution following the mentioned safety procedure which ensures a safe and smooth flight of the quadrotor. 4. 2 Checklist 1. Double Check LiPo battery voltage using voltmeter. 2. Examine the propellers, safety mounts, nuts and screws for any damage. 3. Test communication link between the quadrotor and the Ground station 4.Enable sa fety pilot and check kill switch action before flight. 5. Check status LED’s 4. 3 Man/Machine interface The Intel atom board which is on board the vehicle can be accessed via an LVDS display, this also allows other HMI devices like a mouse/keyboard to be connected. 5. Risk reduction 5. 1 Vehicle status Two status LEDs allow for a check on certain critical vehicle states. The Red LED blinking indicates that the sensors are being initialized and calibrated. Once the sensors are calibrated a green LED blinks rapidly indicating the flight control software is running. In case the battery voltage drops below under 9. volts a loud tone is emitted, with the beeping becoming faster as the voltage drops. 5. 2 Shock / Vibration isolation The Asctec Pelican is built on a carbon fiber frame which has a large value of Ultimate Tensile Strength; that is it can withstand a large amount of impact without necking. The quadrotor is also fitted with soft cushioning pads below the arms to ensure that any impact is cushioned. EMI/RFI Solutions Page 8 of 10 The quadrotor’s vital components that do not communicate wirelessly are wrapped with aluminum foil paper, which does not allow for Electromagnetic interference from the wireless devices.This simple solution is based on the principle of a Faraday’s cage. Sensitive components like these are also placed above all other devices. RFI is less in the vehicle as all the computation happens on board. Safety The IFOR is equipped with landing gear designed in a manner to deflect shock from the electronic system. The propellers are also covered, which ensures safety to both bystanders and the vehicle in case of a mishap. The ON/OFF switch on board is designed active low, so if for some reason the mechanical switch breaks or looses connection the vehicle will remain ON.However this mechanism is overridden by the safety kill switch. Modeling and Simulation The intelligence of the quadrotor was extensively tested for robust ness before and after burning the codes onto the on board processor. Image processing was developed from scratch to meet the requirements of the competition. The PID controllers were tested on Lab View. Testing Device / Routine HOKUYO LIDAR SLAM Cameras Drift Control Conclusion BITS Pilani Dubai Campus had developed IFOR to become a fully autonomous quadrotor that will be able to successfully accomplish the tasks of the IARC.The IFOR’s intelligence system comprises of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping algorithm for the bot to get localize itself in its environment, achieve drift control using a simple PID controller on each of the pitch, roll and altitude controls, this ensures that the flight operation to be steady without considerable oscillating variations. The navigation of the quadrotor is dependent on the wall following algorithm along with the mission planner. Obstacle avoidance ensures that indoor environments can be explored regardless of the Page 9 of 10 Testing Tested while running the intelligence software.Real time execution and experimentally determined accuracy of localization. Pre flight and On Flight testing for image processing Onboard as well off board testing for suitability to tuning presence of obstacles. Finally, image processing enables the quadrotor to scan for patterns, edges and symbols and make corresponding control outputs to maneuver the quadrotor to reach its target room with the flash drive. References 1) Johnson, E. N. and Schrage, D. P. , â€Å"System Integration and Operation of a Research Unmanned Aerial Vehicle,† AIAA Journal of Aerospace Computing, Information and Communication, Vol. 1, No. 1, Jan 2004, pp. –18. Durrant-Whyte, H. ; Bailey, T. (2006). â€Å"Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM): Part I The Essential Algorithms†. Robotics and Automation Magazine 13 (2): 99–110. Andrew J. Davison. Real-time simultaneous localization and mapping with International Conference on Com puter V i s i o n ( I C C V ’ 0 3 ) – V o l u m e 2 , 2003. a single camera. Ninth IEEE 2) 3) 4) Chowdhary, G. V. and Johnson, E. N. , â€Å"Theory and Flight Test Validation of Long Term Learning A d a p t i v e F l i g h t Controller,† Proceedings of the AIAA Guidance Navigation and Control Conference, Honolulu, HI, 2008. 5) 6) Michelson, R. Rules for the International Aerial Robotics Competition 6th Mission, http://iarc. angelstrike. com/IARC_6th_Mission_Rules. pdf Hoffmann,    G. M. , Huang, H. , Waslander, S. L. , ; Tomlin, C. J. (2007). Quadrotor Helicopter Flight Dynamics and Control Theory and Experiment. AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference and Exhibit, 20(23), 1- ­? 20. Point Grey - ­? Imaging - ­? Firefly MV CMOS USB 2. 0 / FireWire Camera. (n. d. ). Point Grey CCD and CMOS Digital Cameras for Industrial, Machine, and Computer Vision. Retrieved June 1, 2010, from http://www. ptgrey. com/products/fireflymv/index. asp 7) Page 10 of 1 0